News from Jackson Public Schools, February 27, 2013

JPS KEY COMMUNICATOR

VOLUME 63 - February 27, 2013

ANNOUNCEMENTS

ACT-SO Accepting Applications

Applications for ACT-SO, a talent competition for high school students, are being accepted now through February 28, 2013. Mississippi's ACT-SO Competition is scheduled for Saturday, March 23.[More]

BAM! Obesity Awareness Student Contests

JPS K-12 students may win cash prizes by entering Knock Out Obesity Mississippi contests sponsored by Be Active Mississippi (BAM!). Entries are due by March 1, 2013. Awards will be presented at BAM!'s Health Fair and Fitness Walk to be held Saturday, April 6. [More]

Power APAC Elementary Academic Testing

Power APAC Elementary academic testing for 2013-14 incoming fourth and fifth grade students will be held from 8 a.m. until noon Saturday, March 2, 2013, at Power APAC, 1120 Riverside Drive. [More]

Third Term District Testing

District testing will take place March 4-8, 2013, for students in grades 2-8 and secondary students enrolled in Algebra I, Biology I, English II, and U.S. History. [More]

JPS to Observe Spring Break

JPS schools and offices will be closed for spring break March 11-15, 2013. [More]

Inclement Weather Make-up Days

Jackson Public Schools will make up two days the District was closed due to inclement weather August 29-30, 2012. District schools and offices will be open and observe a regular schedule on Monday, April 1, 2013, originally part of Easter break, and Monday, May 27, 2013, originally Memorial Day holiday. [More]

2013 JPS Job Fair

Jackson Public Schools is hosting a Job Fair for prospective teachers, bus drivers, cafeteria workers, and maintenance workers. The event will be held from 9 a.m. until noon Saturday, April 13, 2013, at Cardozo Middle School located at 3180 McDowell Road Ext. For more information, contact the Office of Human Resources at 601-960-8745. [More]

Summer Reading Book Drive

The United Way's Pages of Promise Summer Reading Book Drive is collecting books through April 30, 2013, at Lemuria Books, the Mississippi Coliseum, and any Jackson-Hinds library. Books benefit JPS families by supplying summer reading books to students directly or by stocking library shelves. The United Way and JPS are partners in One Jackson... Many Readers. [More]

CONGRATULATIONS

Barr Elementary Principal Named 2013 Administrator of the Year

JPS Superintendent Dr. Cedrick Gray led an entourage of well-wishers February 15, 2013, during a surprise announcement of the Jackson Public Schools 2013 Administrator of the Year. Barr Elementary Principal, Candra Nelson received praise and gifts at the school where a crowd of supporters, including her parents and her elementary principal colleagues from throughout the District, had gathered.

Nelson, an educator of 13 years, was recognized for her successful leadership at Barr Elementary School since becoming the principal in 2010. In 2012, the school was named a National Title I Distinguished School and a Mississippi Exceed School. Both awards are based in part on student achievement. The school has maintained a state accountability performance rating of High Performing for three years. [More]

JPS, A Big Winner at the 2013 Governor's Award Winners

The Mississippi Association of Partners in Education recognized Mississippi's top school-community partnerships during the Governor's Awards luncheon held Thursday, February 21, 2013, at the Jackson Hilton. The luncheon was part of the organization's 28th Annual State Conference which was held over two days. Recipients of 2013 Governor's Awards and the MAPE Board of Directors Partnership Excellence Awards from Jackson Public Schools included:

Governor's Award Winners

Poindexter Elementary and the City of Jackson, WLBT, Antonelli College, Word of Life Church, Minority Contractors Association of Mississippi, Ashley Ogden & Associates, Redeemed Christian Center, T. C. Almore Lodge, St. Mark's Episcopal Church for reading and literacy improvement

MAPE Partnership Excellence Award Winners

George Elementary and Colonial Heights Baptist Church, Fondren Presbyterian Church for increased community interaction to improve academic performance
Jackson Public Schools and the United Way, Jackson Hinds Library Systems, City of Jackson, Lemuria Books, and JPS Media Relations, and Partners in Education departments for the One Jackson... Many Readers literacy campaign
Watkins Elementary and Allen's Recycling, Mississippi Recycling Coalition, Keep Mississippi Beautiful, Southern Farm Bureau, Home Depot, Fleet Feet of Jackson, Mississippi Department of Transportation, Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality, Watkins PTA, Jackson Public Schools, Hobbs Masonry, Creative Mind Construction, Partnership for a Healthy Mississippi, Executive Women International, Entergy for implementing a recycling and environmental awareness program

Jackson Public Schools also joins the University of Mississippi Medical Center in celebrating the University Partnership Award for the Base Pair program which provides science education enrichment for JPS high school students and teachers. The program pairs the high school students with mentors from the university's faculty to facilitate a hands-on biomedical research experience. It also provides training to JPS science teachers. Base Pair has been offered in JPS since 1992.

2013 JPS Chess Tournament Winners

More than 130 JPS gifted education students competed in the 2013 JPS Open Doors Chess Tournament held February 15, 2013, at the JSU Mississippi e-Center. The winners were announced at the end of the day-long tournament involving five rounds of play for each player. The 2013 winners included:

Team Winners

Overall Middle School - McWillie Montessori
Overall Elementary - Davis Magnet
2nd Place Elementary - McWillie
3rd Place Elementary - Woodville Heights

Third Grade

1st Place - Talia Buxbaum from McWillie Elementary
2nd Place - P. J. Bryson from McWillie Elementary
3rd Place - Jalen Rees from Woodville Heights Elementary

Fourth Grade

1st Place - Jeremiah Hunt from Davis Elementary
2nd Place - Donavan Jarrell from Davis Elementary
3rd Place - Mekayla Cook from Woodville Heights Elementary

Fifth Grade

1st Place - Zoe Bass from Davis Elementary
2nd Place - Jakobe Scott from Woodville Heights Elementary
3rd Place - Shawnell Handy from Lake Elementary

Sixth Grade

1st Place - Victor Carr from Northwest Middle
2nd Place - Kilando Mosley from Bailey APAC Middle
3rd Place - Matthew Araujo from McWillie

[More]

JPS Schools and Offices Recognized for Safety Efforts

The JPS Office of Risk Management announced Hardy Middle School as the model school for workplace safety for the second quarter of 2012-13. Bottrell Insurance Agency honored the school for their safety record during the second quarter. More than 70 JPS schools and offices were also recognized as recipients of the Safety Award for the second quarter. The award is a commendation to the recipient sites for helping the District improve its safety culture, save educational dollars, and as a result, impact student achievement. [More]

JPS ATHLETICS

JPS Teams to Play in State Basketball Championship Tournament

Several JPS high schools have advanced to the 2013 Mississippi Basketball Championship Tournament. Callaway High School's boys and Lanier High School's girls clinched North State title victories Saturday, February 23, 2013. Callaway defeated Provine 50-49, and the Lanier Lady Bulldogs defeated Canton High 64-56.

JPS teams will play in the State Championship semi-finals Tuesday, March 5, (5A), and Wednesday, March 6, (6A), at the Mississippi Coliseum off High Street in Jackson. Games and times are as follows:

March 5, 2013

Class 5A

Girls: 1 p.m., Lanier vs. South Jones
Boys: 2:30 p.m., Callaway vs. McComb
Boys: 8 p.m., Pascagoula vs. Provine

March 6, 2013

Class 6A

Girls: 1 p.m., Horn Lake vs. Forest Hill
Boys: 8 p.m., Murrah vs. Harrison Central

Admission is $10, and only state passes will be accepted.

Clarion-Ledger Athletes of the Week for February 11-17, 2013

Boys' Basketball

Malik Newman, Callaway: had 27 points and 5 rebounds in a 55-53 win over Lanier and 31 points and 5 rebounds in an 80-71 overtime win over Provine for the 4-5A championship.

Girls' Basketball

Roshanae Moore, Provine: had 22 points and 5 rebounds in a 70-24 win over Ridgeland and scored 28 points on 8 of 11 shooting in a 66-60 overtime win over Lanier for the 4-5A championship.

Clarion-Ledger Top Performers for February 11-17, 2013

Girls' Basketball

Kierra Jordan, Lanier: had 21 points and 10 rebounds in a win over Callaway and scored 31 points in an overtime loss to Provine.
Chesha Lewis, Murrah: paced the Lady Mustangs in a 67-52 in over Jim Hill with 28 points.

Clarion-Ledger Athlete of the Week for February 18-23, 2013

Girls' Basketball

Kierra Jordan, Lanier: totaled 86 points, 45 rebounds, 9 blocks, 8 steals, and 7 rebounds in leading the Lady Bulldogs to wins over Center Hill, New Hope, and Canton for the 5A North title.

Visit the JPS Athletics page for more sports schedules.

WHAT'S HAPPENING

Northwest Middle Hosts Blues Musician to Kickoff Black History Month

The arts department at Northwest Jackson IB Middle School kicked off Black History Month with a day of activities led by visual and performing artist and teacher Spencer Bohren. While entertaining the students with musical performances, Bohren educated them about the influence of African Americans on various genres of music as well as the evolution and instrumentation of the guitar. The day's activities included a lesson in decoupage shadow boxes for eighth grade art students and a call and response clinic for seventh and eighth grade music students.

Seventh grader Roshanda Townsend was inspired by the event and hopes to use her experience to positively influence her community."Since music is such a big influence on people, it is our job as IB students to use music to improve the world around us," said Townsend.

Bohren is the 2010 winner of the Blues Foundation's Keeping the Blues Alive Award. He is a teacher, musician, and visual artist living in New Orleans, Louisiana. [More]

Are You Smarter than a Baker Math Buster?

The top math students from Baker Elementary, aka Math Busters, competed in a multiplication match against a four-member team from the Baker Donelson law firm during a school wide assembly called Are You Smarter than a Baker Math Buster.

Hosted by WAPT 16 Sports Director Aslan Hodges, the event featured ten rounds of questions with a chance to earn extra points through a bonus question for the winners of each round. The defending champs, the Baker Ballers, proved that the Baker Donelson Math Nerds were not smarter than a Baker Math Buster. [More]

JPS Students Recognized for Participation in Bus Safety Poster Contest

JPS Office of Transportation administrators, Richard Williams and Mary Howard, and Leonard Swilley of the Mississippi Department of Education's Safe and Orderly Schools Office introduced 42 JPS students who participated in the annual School Bus Safety Week poster contest sponsored by MDE and held in the fall of 2013.

The poster of Powell Middle School student Marcus Herron was selected for advancement to the national level of the contest. Herron received a certificate for participation and an award from the JPS Office of Transportation. The theme for the poster contest was "Stand Back from the Yellow and Black." [More]

Rowan Middle School Students Advance to State TSA Conference

Students from Rowan Middle School attended the Mississippi Technology Student Association (TSA) Central District Conference held in Jackson at the Mississippi Department of Education Friday, February 1, 2013. In their debut appearance at the conference, the Rowan students represented their school well by placing 12 times in several business and technology challenges. As a result, the team qualified to attend the State Conference to be held in March. [More]

CMMC Teaches Cooking and Life Skills to Peeples Students

Central Mississippi Medical Center (CMMC) Chef Kristin Gazaway conducted a cooking class for students taking part in the 21st Century program at Peeples Middle School, February 21, 2013. During the session, the students helped prepare an Italian menu of bruschetta with fresh basil and mozzarella, angel hair pasta with homemade pesto, and grilled seafood skewers with herb lemon sauce. Over the course of the program, students also learned how to make southern cuisine, healthy after-school snacks, soups, and sauces. Information Computing Technology teacher Daron Pritchard, who works with the students in the 21st Century after-school program, also participated in the cooking lessons.

Peeples collaborated with CMMC through the Partners in Education program to bring the cooking classes to the after-school students. CMMC has been an adopter of the school for more than 30 years. [More]

Boyd Hosts Heart Health Awareness Day

Boyd Elementary School sponsored Heart Health Awareness Day Friday, February 22, 2013, to increase community awareness about heart disease and childhood obesity. The event was held as part of American Heart Month and included a day of fun-filled activities for students and adults. Participating in the event were physicians Dr. Helen Barnes, Dr. Jeff Fletcher, Dr. Rodney Meeks, Dr. William Sorey, and Dr. Clinton Smith; registered nurses Jocelyn Bacon, Ruby Denson, Isabella Evans, Margaret Bowen-Jones, Holly Roach, Odesta Taylor, and Dr. Malcolm Taylor. Virginia College nursing students also served as volunteers for the sessions.